Panty girdle



Sept. 15, 1953 A. J. FOX 255L777 PANTY GIRDLE Filed Nov. 1, 1951 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 PAN TY GIRDIjEr Asher J. F0x,.Philadelphia, Pa., assignorto Caryl" Leslie Creations, Philadelphia, Par, a partner'- ship Application November 1, 1951,'Seriah-Non254393= 7 Claims. 1.;

This: invention relates. to women's foundation: garments and more particularly to an improved gar1i1ent ofcthe panty girdle :type which combines desirable featuresof the parity, girdle and garter .belt'.

The-present invention has for its primary objectuthe provision. of aifoundation garment Which. provides limited elastic support in the upper abdominal region andwhichalso utilizes alone-way stretch jersey. or tricot fabric band around'thehips to improve the feel of the garment.

Girdlesproviding appreciable elastic support for: the wearer are cumbersome and oftentimes uncomfortable: Various attempts have been made to provide elastic support in apanty girdle type ofgarment, but these have not been entirely acceptable for-"several reasons, one of which is the use of wide elastic-panels that extend from top to bottom of the garment and therefore having an uncomfortable tightnessin the pelvic area that is undesirable.

A further object-of the present invention is to combine an upper abdominal elastic support with a lower knitted fabric having a knitted crotch at-. tached thereto.

Aiurther object of the invention is to provide animproved garment of the type described having one-way crossstretch in an upper elastic area and-in a lower knitted fabric area.

A further object of theinvention is to provide animproved garment of the type described having-one-way crossstretch in an upper elastic area andin a lower knitted fabric area together with a one-wayverticai stretch crotchpiece.

A further object of the invention is to provide a contoured seam between upper elastic abdominal-panels in a panty girdle and aiower knitted area of the garment, the-knitted area-extending completely around the wearers body being higher-at each side'oi the garment than at the front and rear thereof.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings in which Fig. lisa front view. of an improved panty girdle constructed in accordance with my. pres, ent invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the garment of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3" is a -side view of my improved'panty girdle, and

Figx i is a vertical section as seen at 4--l of Fig." 1;

My improved foundation garment comprises essentially an; upper abdominal elastic girdle portion that" extends around the wearers body anda loweriknittedipanty portion which is secured .to..th'e..girdl portion. Thestitching betweentheupper andLlowerportions at the front is .atthe lower. abdominal region, and the stitching. between. the upper. and lower portions in the rear falls inth'e area atth'e upper portion of thebuttocks. Thestitching between the portions at thesides however, curves upwardly so thatithas a,n-.ap'ex.substantially higher than the stitchv at the front @andrea'r. Both the elastic upper portionandthe knitted lower portion are stretchablehorizontally but not vertically. The crotch piece. is also. aone-wayjstretch knitted fabric, but it isdesirabletolp'rovide vertical rather thantransverse. stretchlinth'e crotch in order to relieve stress andtoprovide amore comfortable and better. fitting garment.

Referringnow. more particularly. tothe drawings. my improvedpantygirdle. has an upper elastic-front panell5 whicl'ilis stitched attend I to-an upper. elastic rear panelt." An elastic band 5 may be stitched aroundthe top of both panels 5 and ifidesiredn Thehorizontalor weft'y s [0,". litofiboth. theiront and "rear upper panels are made of. a-resilient...elastic material such as rubber, whereas. the warpor vertical. yarns H, H are of arelatively. inelastic material. The lower frontpanel- I2 is similarlyjfstitchedat the sides to the lower-rear panel I3 at It and it to form two continuous seams with seams 6 and i respectively.

The upper edgesiofth'e front'and rear knitted panelslZland. I31 are stitched to the lower edges oftheaupper pane1s..5-. and 8,land it' is aniimportant-feature oftheinvention'that this scam I5 is. not in .a..single horizontal plane. As shown clearly in Fig.- 1; seam itiidips at the front'until it is slightly-above thel uper extremities H and i8 of-the. leg apertures .8 92nd 211." At the sides, however seamal ia iscarried upwardly so that the apexes-Zi and 22.1are substantially-half way between the top of the garment and the leg apertures l9 andZH- ItWill thus. be understood that the knitted tricot is in'conta'ct Withthe pelvic region and-completely surrounds the wearers body. The elastic portionofthe garment surrounds the abdominal region .and like. the tricot' is tapered to'cover. generally the area that requires elastic support.- g

The lower edges 23 and '24 of "panels [2 and i3 respectively are-connectedby 'a crotch piece 25 which is desirably iormed ot. a double layer of knitted fabric such as-jersey or tricot,

I prefer to employ a specialistitch in the tricot panels.-:l2 and I 3-:aswellas thecrotch25. This stitclrprovides one-way stretch in.the crotch and 3 in the panels l2 and 13. The direction of stre is shown by the arrows. The overlook stitc es in seam l6 permit cross stretching so that both upper and lower panels stretch horizontally completely around the wearers torso.

The crotch, however, is arranged so that the stretch in the fabric is turned at 90, thus there is no side or cross stretch in the crotch, but only vertical as shown by the arrow.

It will thus be understood that the one-way cross stretch in the elastic as well as in the tricot panels permits a shorter garment to be used which in turn provides a daintier and more feminine ap earance because the garment is able to equalize itself on the wearers body. The relative proport ons of the panels as well as the direction of stretch and the curvature of scam l6 combine to provide a foundation garment in which the elastic supporting back panel B fits and fills the hollow of the wearers back and provides suflicient back support to eliminate the need for stays. This enables the wearer to have a more erect carriage without the constricted feeling that usually accompanies such action when a conventional girdle is worn. The front elastic panel gently supports and restrains the abdomen so that the muscles are aided in retaining the abdomen inwardly and upwardly.

The lower knitted rear panel [3 conforms to body contour under the buttocks and supports and restrains fleshy area thereabouts. The sides of the knitted panels 12 and I3 do not decrease in area with the result that the knitted fabric covers the hips, thereby enhancing the feeling of the garment and reducing the area of fiesh in contact with the relatively harsher elastic fabric of the upper panels. This also has a very important advantage in eliminating the likelihood of a mark on the flesh at the sides and also in eliminating any likelihood of a roll in the flesh at the junction between the upper and lower panels.

An especially important feature of the present garment is the unique utilization of an elastic one-way stretch fabric providing abdominal support in contoured areas both at the front and back of the garment, as well as a knitted fabric having a similar one-way cross stretch permitting it to follow the stretching of the elastic fabric but eliminating pressure in the pelvic area. Furthermore, the reversal of the one-way stretch fabric in the crotch piece relieves stress imparted to this member which enhances the comfort and utility of the garment. Therefore, the garment in effect combines the particular advantages of an elastic girdle, knitted panty briefs, and a satisfactory stocking supporting garment; because, like a girdle there is sufficient elastic support in the upper part of the garment to prevent its being pulled out of position when used with garters.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim:

1. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type, an upper elastic front panel having horizontally stretchable yarns and relatively nonstretchable vertical yarns, an upper elastic rear panel having horizontally stretchable yarns and relatively non-stretchable vertical yarns, a lower front panel of knitted tricot fabric secured to the front elastic panel, a lower rear panel of knitted tricot fabric secured to the rear elastic panel, said front and rear lower panels having stitches stretchable horizontally but relatively non-stretchable vertically, said front and rear upper panels and front and rear lower panels being secured together along their respective opposite side edges with the front upper and lower panels and the rear upper and lower panels, respectively, in vertical alignment with one another, and a continuous seam of horizontally stretchable overlock stitches connecting the upper and lower panels and encircling the garment, said seam in the portion between the upper and lower rear panels being located substantially between the hollow of the wearers back and the buttocks and in the portion between the upper and lower front panels being located to substantially register with the top of the wearers pelvic region.

2. A panty girdle constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the seam between the upper and lower panels curves upwardly at the sides of the garment to terminate in an apex.

3. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type comprising, upper front and rear fabric panel members secured together along their respective opposite side edges and each containing elastic strands extending horizontally between said respective opposite side edges of the panels to provide stretch in said panels in the crosswise direction of the garment, lower front and rear fabric panels underlying said upper panels and stretchable in the crosswise direction of the garment, said lower front and rear panels being secured along their upper edges to the bottom edges of their respective upper panels and being secured together along their respective opposite sides edges, and a crotch piece interconnecting the bottom edges of the lower front and rear panels centrally thereof and defining therewith leg openings.

4. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type comprising, upper front and rear fabric panel members secured together along their respective opposite side edges and each containing elastic strands extending horizontally between said respective opposite side edges of the panels to provide stretch in said panels in the crosswise direction only of the garment, lower front and rear fabric panels underlying said upper panels coextensively therewith crosswise of the garment and being stretchable in the crosswise direction only of the garment, said lower front and rear panels being secured along their upper edges to the bottom edges of their respective upper panels and being secured together along their respective opposite side edges in alignment with the side edges of the upper panels, and a crotch piece interconnecting the bottom edges of the lower front and rear panels centrally thereof and defining therewith leg openings.

5. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type comprising, upper front and rear fabric panel members secured together along their respective opposite side edges and each containing elastic strands extending horizontally between said respective opposite side edges of the panels to provide stretch in said panels in the crosswise direction only of the garment, an elastic waistband secured to the upper edges of the upper front and rear panels and extending continuously about the garment, lower front and rear fabric panels underlying said upper panels coextensively therewith crosswise of the garment and being stretchable in the crosswise direction only of the garment, said lower front and rear panels being secured along their upper edges to the bottom edges of their respective upper panels and being secured together along their respective opposite side edges in alignment with the side edges of the 9 upper panels, and a crotch piece interconnecting the bottom edges of the lower front and rear panels centrally thereof and defining therewith leg openings, said crotch piece being stretchable only in the direction perpendicular to the direction of stretch in the upper and lower front and rear panels of the garment.

6. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type comprising, upper front and rear woven fabric panel members secured together along their respective opposite side edges and each containing elastic strands extending horizontally between said respective opposite side edges of the panels to provide stretch in said panels in the crosswise direction only of the garment, lower front and rear panels of knitted tricot fabric underlying said upper panels crosswise of the garment and having stitches stretchable in the crosswise direction only of the garment, said lower front and rear panels being secured along their upper edges to the bottom edges of their respective upper panels and being secured together along their respective opposite side edges, and a crotch piece interconnecting the bottom edges of the lower front and rear panels centrally thereof and defining therewith leg openings.

7. In a foundation garment of the panty girdle type comprising, upper front and rear woven fabric panel members secured together along their respective opposite side edges and each containing elastic strands extending horizontally between said respective opposite side edges of the panels to provide stretch in said panels in the crosswise direction only of the garment, an elastic waist-band secured to the upper edges of the upper front and rear panels and extending continuously about the garment, lower front and rear panels of knitted tricot fabric underlying said upper panels coextensively therewith crosswise of the garment and having stitches stretchable in the crosswise direction only of the garment, said lower front and rear panels being secured along their upper edges to the bottom edges of their respective upper front and rear panels and being secured together along their respective opposite side edges in alignment with the side edges of the upper panels, and a crotch piece interconnecting the bottom edges of the lower front and rear panels centrally thereof and refining therewith leg openings, said crotch piece being of knitted tricot fabric stretchable only in the direction perpendicular to the direction of stretch in the upper and lower front and rear panels of the garment.

ASHER J. FOX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,884 Tanner Dec. 20, 1932 1,929,363 Long Oct. 3, 1933 2,059,820 Spain Nov. 3, 1936 2,099,541 Spain Nov. 16, 1937 2,130,906 Scherfer Sept. 30, 1938 2,153,836 Howland Apr. 11, 1939 2,586,614 Collini Feb. 19, 1952 

